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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. perch — the fish
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bank — for money
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. degree — temperature
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bank — of a river
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. squash — the sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com